423 Unexpected Encounter
Franca chuckled at Jenna’s complaint and replied, “That’s typical. As long as you master the acting method, progress comes quickly before reaching the mid Sequences. The pace at which you save money often falls short of the expenses for purchasing the potion formula and the necessary ingredients.

“Don’t fret about the money. Sequence 7 in the Assassin pathway is a game-changer. It significantly boosts your combat prowess and survival skills. You’re aware of the potential catastrophe on the horizon. Only by becoming a Witch and wielding the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty will you stand a chance at survival and protecting the people you care about.”

Jenna fell silent for a moment, then she swore, “You instigated me without using your abilities!”

“Haha, it’s just the way things are. I’ll share the Witch potion formula with you now. Let’s start gathering,” Franca said as she returned to the coffee table, spread out a piece of paper, and swiftly jotted down the instructions.

Jenna stood beside her, examining the Intisian words taking shape.

Meanwhile, Jenna silently tallied her debts.

Including the Purifier reward and the earnings from my underground singing, I’ve saved nearly 10,000 verl d’or.

According to Franca and Ciel, a Sequence 7 potion formula can go for between 30,000 and 40,000 verl d’or, depending on its rarity. At the very least, I owe Franca another 30,000 verl d’or, bringing the total to 60,000…

Even if I sell the Arrow of the Bloodthirsty, I won’t be able to make up for it. In the future, I’ll have to purchase various ingredients for the Witch potion, costing me over 30,000 verl d’or… Dammit! It’s no wonder why so many Beyonders at those mysticism gatherings seem strapped for cash and penny-pinching!

The more Jenna calculated, the more her head throbbed.

If it weren’t for the potion’s tangible transformation and the clear, visible abilities it grants, she would have suspected she’d fallen into a scam. Why did her debts keep increasing as she worked harder?

In the past, her whole family had often felt hopeless when dealing with a debt of a few thousand verl d’or. But now, she owed Franca 60,000, and there was no end in sight.

Even with her cash and assets, she still fell short by 10,000 verl d’or.

Gritting her teeth, Jenna decided to put these worries aside for now and deal with them after advancing to Sequence 7 as a Witch.

Franca quickly finished writing down the Witch potion formula:

“Sequence 7: Witch;

“Main ingredient: Every drop of an Abyss Demonic Fish’s blood and an Agate Peacock’s egg;

“Supplementary ingredients: 80 ml of purified water, five drops of Jimsonweed juice, 3 scales of a Shadow Lizard, and 10 drops of Daffodil Juice.”

She handed the paper with the formula to Jenna and added in thought, “Avoid gathering these materials at the mysticism gathering we attend. Acquire them from the gathering you discovered and joined, as well as from the Purifiers. Oh, ask Ciel for assistance too.”

Franca was still in the Demoness Sect’s assessment period and worried about potential spies from the secret organization in the mysticism gatherings. If participants gathered the ingredients for the Witch potion, it could raise suspicions.

In contrast, the Purifiers were a more secure source of these ingredients, given their history of dealing with Demonesses. They definitely had the corresponding characteristics in reserve.

Of course, Franca would also help inquire and gather information at the Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society, but she couldn’t inform Jenna about it.

“Alright.” Jenna rwas well aware of the Demoness Sect’s hostility toward wild Assassins like her.

As Jenna memorized the Witch potion formula, Franca inquired with concern, “Has your brother left Trier?”

Recognizing that the heretics were oddly quiet and them receiving confirmation from a Major Arcana card holder, Lumian and Franca had suggested that Jenna and her brother Julien relocate from Trier to another city in Intis for six months to monitor the situation.

Jenna had insisted on staying to spend time with her comrades and had promised to advance her Sequence quickly.

This was the primary reason she had accepted Franca’s gift without hesitation.

As for her brother Julien, Jenna genuinely wanted to keep him away from another mysticism disaster. She wanted him to live a safe and happy life, and she had been busy instigating him to leave Trier.

Jenna couldn’t help but smile. “I went to Port LeSeur last weekend.”

Port LeSeur, situated at the estuary of the Srenzo River, was one of Trier’s primary ports for shipping goods out to sea.

Franca was surprised and pleased for her friend.

“Did you manage to instigate that stubborn fellow?”

Without divulging the truth,Jenna shook her head and said, “No. I shifted my instigation efforts to a different target. I discovered that the shipyard where Julien works has a branch in Port LeSeur, so I used my Instigation ability to convince their supervisor to propose a six-month technical exchange program between the factories. I also paid to include Julien in the list.

“I only digested the potion after successfully instigating this. Dogsh*t, no matter what I told Julien, he refused to listen. He even reneged on his word the next day after the Instigation. As soon as his supervisor issued the order, he started packing!”

After venting her frustration about her brother, Jenna glanced at Franca and added with a sly grin,

“The skilled workers from Trier arrived in Port LeSeur last weekend. The return leg from LeSeur to Trier will be half a year later to avoid the potential disaster.
“Franca, why don’t we figure out a way to get more people to leave Trier and lay low for a while?”

“They won’t believe us even if we tell them,” Franca sighed. “Moreover, if more people leave, those evil god organizations might sense it and act prematurely. If the official Beyonders aren’t prepared, it could lead to more casualties.”

Unspoken was the fact that, combined with Madam Judgment’s words and Ciel’s intel, the surface Trier served to seal the underground Trier. Everyone in the city contributed their strength, and if too many left, the seal might weaken, putting the remaining citizens in danger.

Jenna fell silent for a moment, choosing not to dwell on the topic.

Her upbringing and six months of experience had taught her to accept the harsh reality. All she could do was save as many as she could within reasonable bounds.

After a pause of about ten seconds, Jenna said thoughtfully, “When I Instigated the supervisor to propose the exchange program, I noticed that many neighboring factories had similar arrangements. That’s why I had an example to raise and succeeded without much difficulty.

“Now that I think about it, could it be a covert effort by official Beyonders to reduce the population in the market district?”

“It’s certainly possible,” Franca considered for a moment before hesitating to add more.

What she wanted to say was that it might also be orchestrated by the Tarot Club or Church of The Fool. Madam Justice, a Major Arcana card in the Spectator domain, was well-suited for such matters.

Franca refrained from saying this because she hadn’t yet told Jenna about her and Ciel’s belief in Mr. Fool.

She had initially planned to “visit” The Fool’s cathedral at Lavigny Docks with Jenna, but she dared not do so once she came under the scrutiny of the Demoness Sect.

Yes, I’ll have to get Ciel to take Jenna to Lavigny Docks. If she embraces the faith of Mr. Fool, she’ll be safer in the future… Franca’s thoughts drifted to Lumian.

…

In a four-wheeled four-seater carriage, navigating through the forest and farmland, Lumian, dressed in a casual formal suit, looked out the window at the golden harvest, his mind drifting.

The past month had been his most leisurely period in the past six months, but he didn’t find this leisure enjoyable. He seized every opportunity to digest the Pyromaniac potion.

This included visits to the large morgue in the island district to help “cremate” corpses, “bury” abandoned large-sized trash, venturing underground to use flames to intimidate passing smuggling teams, successfully securing insurance compensation for small distressed merchants through fires, tracking down and incinerating a few wanted criminals, and igniting a desire among many to leave Trier and explore opportunities in neighboring cities…

This string of actions had brought Lumian to the brink of fully digesting the Pyromaniac potion. It might only take another half a month, a week, or perhaps even less.

Today, Lumian had received an invitation from Count Poufer to visit his Red Swan Castle as a guest.

Over the past month, the Sauron family had hosted five gatherings—one at the castle, one for hunting, two for casual chats at a café, and one for a masquerade ball in an abandoned house.

Lumian had participated in all of them, but nothing significant had occurred. The only notable exception was that Poufer Sauron hadn’t played King’s Pie again.

Where’s the probe Gardner Martin mentioned? Could it be a probe this time? The Cave Association hasn’t made another appearance. Do they believe me? He redirected his thoughts from the near-harvest farmland and contemplated the invitation for the day.

What intrigued him even more was Gardner Martin’s promise to secretly monitor every gathering hosted by Count Poufer. So, where might Gardner be concealed at this moment?

Under the afternoon sun, the carriage arrived at its destination.

Lumian gazed up at the beige castle, tainted with the stains of ancient blood. Passing through the imposing door and the vast atrium, he reached the elegant living room on the first floor, adorned with a dark-red, plush carpet.

Poufer Sauron, dressed in a red velvet coat, was engaged in conversation at the entrance with another guest when Lumian arrived.

Lumian’s gaze froze.

The guest standing beside Count Poufer was not someone he had expected to see.

Clad in hunting attire, with what appeared to be reddish-dyed hair, sharp brown eyebrows, and piercing eyes, it was Albus, another member of the Iron and Blood Cross Order.

As a member of the Iron and Blood Cross Order under the command of Commanding Officer Gardner Martin, Lumian was well aware of their identities and objectives. However, Albus was enigmatic and seldom seen in the market district, only making appearances at gatherings for a free meal.

“Who is this?” Lumian didn’t conceal his confusion.

Is he here to assist me in completing my mission?

Poufer Sauron introduced with a smile,”A new friend. He’ll be joining us at our gatherings more frequently.”

At this point, Poufer turned to Albus, whose expression appeared rather unlikable, maintaining his smile.

“His full name is: Albus Medici.”